Justice Department

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Federal Judges Question Trump's Tariff Powers Claim

'Tariffs seems to have no friends in that statute,' appeals court judge says of law Trump is using

(Newser) - A federal appeals court showed clear doubts Thursday about the Trump administration's claim to sweeping tariff powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—a law that, notably, never mentions tariffs. The Justice Department contends President Trump can use the statute to levy broad new taxes on imports,...

Maxwell Asks SCOTUS to Overturn Conviction

Her lawyers say Epstein's Florida deal should shield her from prosecution

(Newser) - Ghislaine Maxwell is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her 2022 sex-trafficking conviction, arguing that a deal Jeffrey Epstein struck with federal prosecutors should have protected her from prosecution. The core of Maxwell's appeal centers on a 2008 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) Epstein reached with authorities in Florida—...

Arizona Woman Hears Fate for Running N. Korean 'Laptop Farm'

Christina Chapman gets 8 years behind bars for operation that funneled millions to North Korea

(Newser) - An Arizona woman has received an eight-year-plus federal prison sentence for her role in a scheme that allowed North Korean operatives to masquerade as remote IT workers for hundreds of American companies, reports Politico . Christina Chapman, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, reportedly ran...

UnitedHealth: Feds Are Investigating Us

Stocks dive early as company acknowledges DOJ criminal, civil requests over Medicare practices

(Newser) - Shares of UnitedHealth Group dove early Thursday after the health care giant said that it was under a Department of Justice investigation, reports the AP . The company said that it has started complying with both criminal and civil requests from federal investigators. UnitedHealth "has a long record of responsible...

Justice Department to Meet With Ghislaine Maxwell

Meeting with Epstein collaborator comes with the president under pressure

(Newser) - A new development in the Jeffrey Epstein drama: A top Justice Department official plans to meet with the sexual predator's longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, reports the New York Times . Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official under Attorney General Pam Bondi, tweeted that Bondi instructed him to seek the meeting...

Johnson Changes Course on Releasing Epstein Files

There'll be no House vote before recess, speaker now says

(Newser) - The House won't vote this summer on whether the Justice Department should release files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday, after he called last week for the Trump administration to "put everything out there." The Rules Committee has already sent a...

Judge Gives 33 Months Instead of 1 Day in Breonna Taylor Case

DOJ contended Brett Hankison, who fired into Louisville apartment but didn't hit anyone, had been punished enough

(Newser) - A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former police officer to nearly three years in prison for using excessive force during the 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor, declining a Justice Department recommendation that he not be given any prison time. Brett Hankison, who fired 10 shots without hitting anyone,...

Durbin: Bondi 'Pressured' FBI on Review of Epstein Files

Dem senator says in letters to DOJ, FBI that 1K agents were made to 'flag' any references to Trump

(Newser) - Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is raising new questions about how the FBI has handled files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. According to letters Durbin sent to the Justice Department and FBI leadership, agents reviewing Epstein's files earlier...

DOJ Says LA Woman Invented ICE Abduction

Feds say Yuriana Calderon, 41, made up story of being kidnapped by federal agents to raise money

(Newser) - A Los Angeles woman is being accused by the federal government of staging her own kidnapping and blaming it on ICE to try to profit off her claims. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officials, with a criminal complaint citing...

James Comey's Daughter Has a Message for the DOJ

Abruptly fired prosecutor warns colleagues not to let fear shape justice

(Newser) - After being dismissed from her role as US attorney, Maurene Comey—daughter of former FBI chief James Comey—sent a parting letter urging Justice Department colleagues to resist letting fear shape their decisions and to stand up against "abuses of power." Comey, notable for prosecuting figures like...

Democrats Walk Out of Bove Nomination Hearing

Their request to hear directly from a whistleblower about Trump's former attorney was refused

(Newser) - Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee moved forward Thursday with the nomination of Emil Bove, President Trump's pick for the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, despite a dramatic protest by Democrats. Every Democrat on the committee walked out of the hearing before the vote, objecting...

DOJ Fires Prosecutor in Epstein Case

Trump dismissed Maurene Comey's father in his first term

(Newser) - Maurene Comey, who worked on the criminal prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was fired Wednesday from the job she held for nearly a decade in the Manhattan US attorney's office, insiders told multiple publications. No explanation for the firing has surfaced, Politico reports, though the White House...

Key Justice Department Unit Is Losing Lawyers Fast

Reuters says nearly two-thirds in division that defends Trump programs have quit

(Newser) - A Reuters investigation has uncovered a notable stat about Justice Department lawyers: Nearly two-thirds of the department's Federal Programs Branch—the unit tasked with defending key Trump administration policies in court—have left their positions since President Trump's election. Out of about 110 attorneys, 69 have either...

Epstein Fallout Intensifies in Trump Administration

Deputy FBI chief reportedly close to resigning in clash with attorney general

(Newser) - The fallout continues in DC over the handling of the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's death . CNN and Axios report that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is close to resigning—in fact, he didn't show up to work on Friday—as he clashes with Attorney General Pam...

DOJ Releases Torture Tapes in DEA Agent's 1985 Murder

Recordings go to cartel founder Rafael Caro Quintero's defense

(Newser) - The Justice Department has begun releasing secret audio recordings of the 1985 torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, a move that could reshape the high-profile case against Mexican cartel leader Rafael Caro Quintero. The tapes, which have never been fully released publicly, are now being...

DOJ: It's the Biggest Takedown of Health Care Scams Ever

Yearly amount topped $14B, officials say on scheme that led to 320-plus people being charged

(Newser) - State and federal prosecutors have charged more than 320 people and uncovered nearly $15 billion in false claims in what they described Monday as the largest coordinated takedown of health care fraud schemes in Justice Department history. Law enforcement reported seizing more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency,...

DOJ Escalates Campaign Against Jan. 6 Prosecutors

Sources say at least 3 involved in Capitol riot criminal cases were fired on Friday

(Newser) - The Justice Department on Friday fired at least three prosecutors involved in US Capitol riot criminal cases, the latest move by the Trump administration targeting attorneys connected to the massive prosecution of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, per two people familiar with the matter. Those dismissed include two attorneys who...

Report: DOJ Demands Ouster of UVA President

Sources say feds believe James Ryan 'rebranded' DEI instead of ending policies

(Newser) - The Trump administration has reportedly demanded that the University of Virginia remove its president, James E. Ryan, as a condition for resolving a Justice Department probe into the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. The New York Times , citing people familiar with the discussions, reports that the Justice...

Whistleblower Says DoJ Official Suggested Defying Judges

He says he was 'stunned' when Emil Bove said department could 'blatantly ignore court orders'

(Newser) - A top Justice Department official suggested the Trump administration might have to ignore court orders as it prepared to deport Venezuelan migrants it accused of being gang members, a fired department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower complaint made public Tuesday. In a letter seeking a congressional and Justice Department watchdog...

Administration: Abrego Garcia Won't Be Freed Despite Order

Judge ordered defendant released until smuggling trial

(Newser) - A federal judge has issued a blistering ruling saying that the Trump administration failed to prove that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a flight risk or a danger to the community and so must not detain him before his smuggling trial. At the same time, US Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes acknowledged...

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